Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Given New $280.00 Price Target at Susquehanna

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) had its price target upped by investment analysts at Susquehanna from $255.00 to $280.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “neutral” rating on the railroad operator’s stock. Susquehanna’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 12.84% from the stock’s current price.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on NSC. Morgan Stanley reissued an “underweight” rating and set a $175.00 price target on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research note on Monday, July 8th. Benchmark increased their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $266.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 29th. TD Cowen raised their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $251.00 to $253.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $288.00 to $285.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $266.56.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

NYSE:NSC opened at $248.14 on Wednesday. Norfolk Southern has a 12-month low of $183.09 and a 12-month high of $263.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $56.06 billion, a PE ratio of 39.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 1.31. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $245.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $237.12.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $3.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.20. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 14.85% and a return on equity of 19.64%. The firm had revenue of $3.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.04 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.95 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Norfolk Southern will post 11.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Norfolk Southern

In related news, CEO Alan H. Shaw sold 51,325 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $255.98, for a total value of $13,138,173.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 35,045 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,970,819.10. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Alan H. Shaw sold 51,325 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $255.98, for a total value of $13,138,173.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 35,045 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,970,819.10. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Nabanita C. Nag sold 355 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $249.38, for a total value of $88,529.90. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 1,488 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $371,077.44. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Norfolk Southern

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Cedar Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the first quarter worth about $27,000. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the second quarter worth approximately $31,000. HWG Holdings LP purchased a new stake in Norfolk Southern in the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Rise Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Norfolk Southern in the 1st quarter valued at $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

About Norfolk Southern

Norfolk Southern Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the rail transportation of raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods in the United States. The company transports agriculture, forest, and consumer products comprising soybeans, wheat, corn, fertilizers, livestock and poultry feed, food products, food oils, flour, sweeteners, ethanol, lumber and wood products, pulp board and paper products, wood fibers, wood pulp, beverages, and canned goods; chemicals consist of sulfur and related chemicals, petroleum products comprising crude oil, chlorine and bleaching compounds, plastics, rubber, industrial chemicals, chemical wastes, sand, and natural gas liquids; metals and construction materials, such as steel, aluminum products, machinery, scrap metals, cement, aggregates, minerals, clay, transportation equipment, and military-related products; and automotive, including finished motor vehicles and automotive parts, as well as coal.